Mar 1, 2022, 6:35 am
Last edit by: CKDGM
Passport Agency Appointments (same day expedited service)
Appointments for same-day expedited service often go quickly. It is best that you schedule your appointment with the passport agency exactly 14 days before your trip. You will want to call the passport number before the center opens at 8am EST as they will have just opened up one day (14 days out) of appointments at all agencies. Appointment times start at 8am. It is important that you have enough buffer in your travel schedule. For example, if you make an appointment for a new passport at 11am and your time of travel is at 2pm, there will not be enough time for you to get your passport. If you book the 8am slot you may have to wait until the end of the business day to get your new passport or it may only be a few hours.
You will want to have your date of travel, time of travel, your flight itinerary number, name of destination, full name of applicant, and applicant's birth city, and the zip code of where you live (to help them find the closest available center with open slots). Use the following steps to increase your chances of success to booking an appointment as they can go very quickly:
Credit: chgoeditor
Known office locator numbers (not complete)
Note: The office code (first two digits of your application locator number returned by Passport Status) is the office reviewing your documents and approving your application. It isn't necessarily the address you mailed the forms to (always Irving or Philadelphia for renewals) nor the facility where the book is physically printed and mailed (often Tucson or Hot Springs).
10: Boston
11: NYC
12: Honolulu
14: Stamford, CT
15: Portsmouth, NH
17: Aurora, CO
18: Chicago
19: Washington, DC
20-29: Portsmouth, NH
34-39: Charleston
40-42: New Orleans, LA
45: Portsmouth, NH
50: Los Angeles, CA
51: Miami
53: Seattle
54: Minneapolis
55: Dallas
56: Detroit
57: San Francisco
58: Philadelphia, PA
61-64: Tucson
65: Hot Springs, AR
67: San Juan, PR
68: Portsmouth, NH
69: Portsmouth, NH
71: US embassies/consulates abroad (possibly Portsmouth, NH)
74: Atlanta
75: St Albans, VT
76: San Diego, CA
77: Buffalo, NY
78: El Paso, TX
79: Houston, TX
80: Special Issuance Agency ("Issues diplomatic, official, service, and no-fee regular passports, and facilitates visa processing for those traveling on behalf of the U.S. government.")
95: Online
A list of agencies and their locator numbers is listed on this page under the heading, "List of passport agencies and centers with locator numbers."
H/T Nayef, txviking, and various individual posts both here and on Reddit. If you have a locator not in the above list, check the return address agency name or postmark/ZIP on your returned citizenship docs, or passport card if you applied for one, which may be the processing office, although the address itself is likely to be a PO Box in Sterling, VA in all cases (which appears to be a lockbox location that processes mail for all locations). The passport books are printed in fewer locations, often Hot Springs and Tucson, and may not correspond to the agency where the processing steps occurred. If it doesnt match the list above, please add or correct.
Appointments for same-day expedited service often go quickly. It is best that you schedule your appointment with the passport agency exactly 14 days before your trip. You will want to call the passport number before the center opens at 8am EST as they will have just opened up one day (14 days out) of appointments at all agencies. Appointment times start at 8am. It is important that you have enough buffer in your travel schedule. For example, if you make an appointment for a new passport at 11am and your time of travel is at 2pm, there will not be enough time for you to get your passport. If you book the 8am slot you may have to wait until the end of the business day to get your new passport or it may only be a few hours.
You will want to have your date of travel, time of travel, your flight itinerary number, name of destination, full name of applicant, and applicant's birth city, and the zip code of where you live (to help them find the closest available center with open slots). Use the following steps to increase your chances of success to booking an appointment as they can go very quickly:
- 14 days before your trip, you need to schedule an appointment with the passport agency.
- At 7:55 am call the passport number 877-487-2778 (This have to be exactly 14 days before your plane ticket or less. If less, it will get harder to find an appointment)
- Click 1 (For English)
- Click 2 (New Passport)
- Continue to Click 7 to repeat, and keep doing this while watching your watch or using Time.gov to get the exact time down to the second.
- When your it hits exactly 8:00 am Click 2 (for traveling within 14 days option)
- There will be a delay of 3-4 second and you will wait for the next available agent. If you are very lucky, you will be put straight through to an agent. You may be waiting few minutes or maybe as long as 15-20 minutes.
- If you did not click 1 exactly at 8 am, you may have to wait for more than an hour and half
Credit: chgoeditor
Known office locator numbers (not complete)
Note: The office code (first two digits of your application locator number returned by Passport Status) is the office reviewing your documents and approving your application. It isn't necessarily the address you mailed the forms to (always Irving or Philadelphia for renewals) nor the facility where the book is physically printed and mailed (often Tucson or Hot Springs).
10: Boston
11: NYC
12: Honolulu
14: Stamford, CT
15: Portsmouth, NH
17: Aurora, CO
18: Chicago
19: Washington, DC
20-29: Portsmouth, NH
34-39: Charleston
40-42: New Orleans, LA
45: Portsmouth, NH
50: Los Angeles, CA
51: Miami
53: Seattle
54: Minneapolis
55: Dallas
56: Detroit
57: San Francisco
58: Philadelphia, PA
61-64: Tucson
65: Hot Springs, AR
67: San Juan, PR
68: Portsmouth, NH
69: Portsmouth, NH
71: US embassies/consulates abroad (possibly Portsmouth, NH)
74: Atlanta
75: St Albans, VT
76: San Diego, CA
77: Buffalo, NY
78: El Paso, TX
79: Houston, TX
80: Special Issuance Agency ("Issues diplomatic, official, service, and no-fee regular passports, and facilitates visa processing for those traveling on behalf of the U.S. government.")
95: Online
A list of agencies and their locator numbers is listed on this page under the heading, "List of passport agencies and centers with locator numbers."
H/T Nayef, txviking, and various individual posts both here and on Reddit. If you have a locator not in the above list, check the return address agency name or postmark/ZIP on your returned citizenship docs, or passport card if you applied for one, which may be the processing office, although the address itself is likely to be a PO Box in Sterling, VA in all cases (which appears to be a lockbox location that processes mail for all locations). The passport books are printed in fewer locations, often Hot Springs and Tucson, and may not correspond to the agency where the processing steps occurred. If it doesnt match the list above, please add or correct.
Current US passport wait? (Merged Threads)
Jul 22, 2021 | 3:12 pm
#1486
Join Date: Jul 2015
Location: Florida
Programs: Delta SkyMiles; Hilton HHonors; NEXUS; National Emerald Club Executive
Posts: 367
Passport application locator codes (retyped from above because the image is tiny; also, text is searchable):
10: Boston
34: Charleston
42: New Orleans
51: Miami
55: Dallas
57: San Francisco
61: Tucson
68: New Hampshire
74: Atlanta
78: El Paso
Curiously, my locator number was 68 (New Hampshire) but the new passport was mailed from Hot Springs, Arkansas.
10: Boston
34: Charleston
42: New Orleans
51: Miami
55: Dallas
57: San Francisco
61: Tucson
68: New Hampshire
74: Atlanta
78: El Paso
Curiously, my locator number was 68 (New Hampshire) but the new passport was mailed from Hot Springs, Arkansas.
Jul 22, 2021 | 6:39 pm
#1488
Join Date: Jul 2021
Posts: 13
Passport application locator codes (retyped from above because the image is tiny; also, text is searchable):
10: Boston
34: Charleston
42: New Orleans
51: Miami
55: Dallas
57: San Francisco
61: Tucson
68: New Hampshire
74: Atlanta
78: El Paso
Curiously, my locator number was 68 (New Hampshire) but the new passport was mailed from Hot Springs, Arkansas.
10: Boston
34: Charleston
42: New Orleans
51: Miami
55: Dallas
57: San Francisco
61: Tucson
68: New Hampshire
74: Atlanta
78: El Paso
Curiously, my locator number was 68 (New Hampshire) but the new passport was mailed from Hot Springs, Arkansas.
Jul 22, 2021 | 7:10 pm
#1490
Join Date: May 2021
Posts: 5
Update!
7/22: Passports arrived today via Priority Mail! I'm surprised it came this early since I just got the notification yesterday that it was 'Approved.'
Historical Timeline:
4/20: Passports sent by Priority Mail for routine service
4/24: Arrives at mailing center in Irving, Texas
5/19: At around 8 pm Pacific time, I received emails notifying me of a status change from 'Not Available' to 'Processed,' with a message saying they are currently processing in 10-12 weeks.
5/20: The checks were cashed.
7/21: Received an email that my passport status is now 'Approved' and is expected to arrive by July 27th.
7/22: Passports arrived today via Priority Mail! I'm surprised it came this early since I just got the notification yesterday that it was 'Approved.'
Historical Timeline:
4/20: Passports sent by Priority Mail for routine service
4/24: Arrives at mailing center in Irving, Texas
5/19: At around 8 pm Pacific time, I received emails notifying me of a status change from 'Not Available' to 'Processed,' with a message saying they are currently processing in 10-12 weeks.
5/20: The checks were cashed.
7/21: Received an email that my passport status is now 'Approved' and is expected to arrive by July 27th.
Jul 22, 2021 | 8:54 pm
#1491
Join Date: May 2018
Location: Colorado (anywhere between DEN DMM BAH)
Programs: United MileagePlus, SkyMiles, AAdvantage, NEXUS
Posts: 3,595
House bill targets US passport backlog
Lawmakers introduced bipartisan legislation on Thursday that would require the Biden administration to submit a plan to eliminate the massive U.S. passport backlog.
The Passport Backlog Elimination Act was introduced by Democratic Reps. Gerry Connolly (Va.) and Carolyn Maloney (N.Y.) and GOP Reps. Adam Kinzinger (Ill.) and Tim Burchett (Tenn.).
The bill focuses on staffing shortages at the State Department that have caused the passport backlog, requiring the agency to ensure processing time is six to eight weeks for applications and two to three weeks for expedited applications.
The legislation would give the State Department a 30-day deadline to submit a plan, which must then be implemented within one month. The State Department inspector general would also have to submit an audit on the effectiveness of the plan within six months of the bill's enactment.
"Too many of our constituents are left in limbo, not sure if they will receive their passport in time," Connolly said. "Some don't even know the status of their application, and others have been forced to forego travel altogether. While I appreciate the efforts of State Department employees as they work to reduce this backlog, the need for substantial improvement remains."
The Passport Backlog Elimination Act was introduced by Democratic Reps. Gerry Connolly (Va.) and Carolyn Maloney (N.Y.) and GOP Reps. Adam Kinzinger (Ill.) and Tim Burchett (Tenn.).
The bill focuses on staffing shortages at the State Department that have caused the passport backlog, requiring the agency to ensure processing time is six to eight weeks for applications and two to three weeks for expedited applications.
The legislation would give the State Department a 30-day deadline to submit a plan, which must then be implemented within one month. The State Department inspector general would also have to submit an audit on the effectiveness of the plan within six months of the bill's enactment.
"Too many of our constituents are left in limbo, not sure if they will receive their passport in time," Connolly said. "Some don't even know the status of their application, and others have been forced to forego travel altogether. While I appreciate the efforts of State Department employees as they work to reduce this backlog, the need for substantial improvement remains."
Jul 22, 2021 | 9:05 pm
#1492
Join Date: Jul 2015
Location: Florida
Programs: Delta SkyMiles; Hilton HHonors; NEXUS; National Emerald Club Executive
Posts: 367
I received my passport today as well! Full timeline:
4/19: Applied in person at courthouse
5/19: Application status changed to "In Process"
7/19: Passport issued
7/22: Passport in hand
Still waiting for my passport card and my Certificate of Naturalization.
4/19: Applied in person at courthouse
5/19: Application status changed to "In Process"
7/19: Passport issued
7/22: Passport in hand
Still waiting for my passport card and my Certificate of Naturalization.
Jul 23, 2021 | 7:40 am
#1493
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: Between AUS, EWR, and YTO In a little twisty maze of airline seats, all alike.. but I wanna go home with the armadillo
Programs: CO, NW, & UA forum moderator emeritus. Eurobonus Millionaire
Posts: 38,683
As time goes on, more and more stories on this issue are being published. From yesterday comes this 
ne...
ne...
Americans Can't Travel Because State Department Employees Won't Work
Massive passport-processing delays, due to COVID restrictions and staffing shortages, are ruining summer travel plans and prompting fantastical workarounds.
Next week, my dual-citizen wife will take a previously unplanned five-hour flight from New York to a city out west, rent an expensive car (all car rentals are expensive nowadays), drive a couple of hours, spend the night at a hotel, then go to a first-thing-in-the-morning appointment at a State Department agency to receive her "expedited" U.S. passport renewal that she originally applied for more than three months ago.
This thousand-dollar detour, made necessary by our pending trip to see the in-laws in France (COVID having scrambled the ability for dual nationals to traverse freely between countries on just one of the two passports), has been playing out all over the country, as Americans with immovable travel dates scramble to deal with consular processing that has slowed to a crawl.
...
Massive passport-processing delays, due to COVID restrictions and staffing shortages, are ruining summer travel plans and prompting fantastical workarounds.
Next week, my dual-citizen wife will take a previously unplanned five-hour flight from New York to a city out west, rent an expensive car (all car rentals are expensive nowadays), drive a couple of hours, spend the night at a hotel, then go to a first-thing-in-the-morning appointment at a State Department agency to receive her "expedited" U.S. passport renewal that she originally applied for more than three months ago.
This thousand-dollar detour, made necessary by our pending trip to see the in-laws in France (COVID having scrambled the ability for dual nationals to traverse freely between countries on just one of the two passports), has been playing out all over the country, as Americans with immovable travel dates scramble to deal with consular processing that has slowed to a crawl.
...
Jul 23, 2021 | 2:51 pm
#1494
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: SJC
Programs: Hilton Diamond, AS 100k
Posts: 1,016
7/2: passport dropped off at USPS
7/12: application "In progress"
7/13: check cashed
7/23: approved
?/??: PLACEHOLDER FOR RECEIVING THE PASSPORT
-this is my infant kid's (3 months old) first passport
-went to USPS in Santa Clara, CA (95054)
-I wrote on the application we wanted to travel on 7/15 (not sure if it mattered)
-paid for expedite
-application #17xxxx (no idea where this is, will update once I receive the passport)
-didn't contact any government officials
-never received any email from DOS... despite signing up for notification
pretty impressive turnaround time, good luck everyone!!
7/12: application "In progress"
7/13: check cashed
7/23: approved
?/??: PLACEHOLDER FOR RECEIVING THE PASSPORT
-this is my infant kid's (3 months old) first passport
-went to USPS in Santa Clara, CA (95054)
-I wrote on the application we wanted to travel on 7/15 (not sure if it mattered)
-paid for expedite
-application #17xxxx (no idea where this is, will update once I receive the passport)
-didn't contact any government officials
-never received any email from DOS... despite signing up for notification
pretty impressive turnaround time, good luck everyone!!
Last edited by beepyou; Jul 23, 2021 at 2:58 pm Reason: updating info
Jul 23, 2021 | 3:13 pm
#1495
Join Date: Jul 2021
Posts: 21
7/2: passport dropped off at USPS
7/12: application "In progress"
7/13: check cashed
7/23: approved
?/??: PLACEHOLDER FOR RECEIVING THE PASSPORT
-this is my infant kid's (3 months old) first passport
-went to USPS in Santa Clara, CA (95054)
-I wrote on the application we wanted to travel on 7/15 (not sure if it mattered)
-paid for expedite
-application #17xxxx (no idea where this is, will update once I receive the passport)
-didn't contact any government officials
-never received any email from DOS... despite signing up for notification
pretty impressive turnaround time, good luck everyone!!
7/12: application "In progress"
7/13: check cashed
7/23: approved
?/??: PLACEHOLDER FOR RECEIVING THE PASSPORT
-this is my infant kid's (3 months old) first passport
-went to USPS in Santa Clara, CA (95054)
-I wrote on the application we wanted to travel on 7/15 (not sure if it mattered)
-paid for expedite
-application #17xxxx (no idea where this is, will update once I receive the passport)
-didn't contact any government officials
-never received any email from DOS... despite signing up for notification
pretty impressive turnaround time, good luck everyone!!
Jul 24, 2021 | 10:31 pm
#1498
Join Date: Jul 2021
Posts: 21
7/24/21: DoS Approval Email -Application Status: Approved
The U.S. Department of State approved your application for your passport book. We're now printing your passport book and preparing to give it to you.
You requested expedited service when you applied, which we are currently processing within 6 weeks. You should receive your passport book on or around 07/28/2021.
Start to finish ~4 weeks! This is a huge RELIEF. Still waiting for passport book in hand but one step closer to our international trip. Good luck everyone!
Jul 25, 2021 | 12:09 am
#1499
Join Date: Jul 2015
Location: Florida
Programs: Delta SkyMiles; Hilton HHonors; NEXUS; National Emerald Club Executive
Posts: 367
Update:
7/24/21: DoS Approval Email -Application Status: Approved
The U.S. Department of State approved your application for your passport book. We're now printing your passport book and preparing to give it to you.
You requested expedited service when you applied, which we are currently processing within 6 weeks. You should receive your passport book on or around 07/28/2021.
Start to finish ~4 weeks! This is a huge RELIEF. Still waiting for passport book in hand but one step closer to our international trip. Good luck everyone!
7/24/21: DoS Approval Email -Application Status: Approved
The U.S. Department of State approved your application for your passport book. We're now printing your passport book and preparing to give it to you.
You requested expedited service when you applied, which we are currently processing within 6 weeks. You should receive your passport book on or around 07/28/2021.
Start to finish ~4 weeks! This is a huge RELIEF. Still waiting for passport book in hand but one step closer to our international trip. Good luck everyone!
Jul 26, 2021 | 7:29 pm
#1500
Join Date: Jul 2021
Posts: 13
Update:
7/24/21: DoS Approval Email -Application Status: Approved
The U.S. Department of State approved your application for your passport book. We're now printing your passport book and preparing to give it to you.
You requested expedited service when you applied, which we are currently processing within 6 weeks. You should receive your passport book on or around 07/28/2021.
Start to finish ~4 weeks! This is a huge RELIEF. Still waiting for passport book in hand but one step closer to our international trip. Good luck everyone!
7/24/21: DoS Approval Email -Application Status: Approved
The U.S. Department of State approved your application for your passport book. We're now printing your passport book and preparing to give it to you.
You requested expedited service when you applied, which we are currently processing within 6 weeks. You should receive your passport book on or around 07/28/2021.
Start to finish ~4 weeks! This is a huge RELIEF. Still waiting for passport book in hand but one step closer to our international trip. Good luck everyone!
6-13 I filled out and filed a DS-64 form as my passport which was renewed in 2019 was missing. I still had the card. I then made an appointment at the local post office.
6-15 I went to post office pictures taken, and the application was mailed. I surrendered my passport card. I paid for expedited. We have a trip August 12 to Greece, and thought that was plenty of time as the wait time was 4 to 6 weeks. I did not pay for overnight.
6-18 Check cashed and went into processing. I thought great, this will be done in no time. There were no stories about delays then.
I began to hear horror stories mid-July so contacted my local representative to be safe on July 12. A staff member contacted me that same day named Cameron. He has been wonderful.
Cameron found out my passport was in Houston and kept on them for updates
Nothing happened. Nothing Happened. Nothing Happened.
7-20 a staff member in Houston called me and told me that they did not have my DS-64 nor my passport card which had to be surrendered. I told him that I did the DS-64 online and it showed successfully filed on 6-13. I also told him that the passport card was surrendered to the post office and if lost it was between there and his office. I did not tell him what I was thinking. How the hell do you lose an online form? It would be like your hospital telling you that they lost your online x-ray. He asked me to resend the form. I asked if I could print it and sign and scan it in attaching to an email. He said that he would ask and call me back. He did and his supervisor said no, that they now needed a physical one. So I overnighted one to the address that he provided for $28 along with a check for $17.56 for them to overnight the passport to me. I checked the box for the lost passport card too now, because apparently they lost it between my post office and their offices. I received proof that it arrived at 1:30 pm the next day.
Then nothing, nothing, nothing.
I contacted Cameron this morning, attaching proof of delivery. He contacted them and said that he had to call five times before getting a text back where they said that they had the form in hand and were processing.
We already passed the point of losing part of our payment on our trip which was $9,500 for the two of us. On Saturday we lose the opportunity to cancel and get 70% back.
Admittedly it is my fault for misplacing the passport. I freely admit that. And Cameron has been wonderful. But still, it is frustrating.
It feels like we finally may get this done, and in time, but if there was not constant pressing I doubt that will be so.
And I will not feel completely safe until the passport is in hand.
Last edited by JadedFan; Jul 26, 2021 at 8:04 pm